A new report from the Congressional Research Service examines the
possibility of replacing the nuclear warheads on U.S. long range
ballistic missiles with conventional warheads, and sorts through the
implications of such a move.

From the warfighter's perspective, the availability of
conventionally-armed long-range ballistic missiles would mean
increased flexibility and would permit prompt global offensive
reach.

Critics worry that any use of such a missile would lend itself to
misinterpretation as a nuclear strike and thereby lower the
threshold for nuclear war.

Others suggest that conversion of long-range missiles to conventional
warheads would facilitate sharp reductions in nuclear weapons
stockpiles, if there were a will to pursue such reductions.

The U.S. currently has an estimated 4,868 nuclear warheads on 982
land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched
ballistic missiles.

The U.S. nuclear weapons targeting plan that was formerly known as the
SIOP (Single Integrated Operational Plan) is now designated OPLAN
8044, the CRS report notes, and "it reflects changes in U.S.
targeting plans and priorities that resulted from the Bush
Administration's nuclear posture review."

A copy of the new CRS report was obtained by Secrecy News.

See "Conventional Warheads For Long-Range Ballistic Missiles:
Background and Issues for Congress," September 6, 2005:

Information about the POPPY intelligence satellite program, which
operated from 1962 to 1971, was declassified this week.

"POPPY was the successor to the nation's first ELINT [electronic
intelligence] satellite, known as 'GRAB' (Galactic Radiation and
Background)," according to a September 12 press release from the
National Reconnaissance Office.

"The POPPY system was designed to detect land based radar emitters
and support ocean surveillance."

The newly declassified information is summarized in a POPPY Program
Fact Sheet, dated September 12, 2005, and available here: